Initial Hearings of the Alipore Bomb Case

What is the Alipore Bomb Case of 1908?

The Alipore Bomb Case, also known as the Manicktolla bomb conspiracy, was a criminal case that took place in India in 1908. Trials were held in Calcutta for a number of Indian nationalists from the Anushilan Samiti who were accused of “waging war against the Government” of the British Raj.  The trial took place in May 1908 to May 1909 at the Alipore Sessions Court in Calcutta. The trial came after Bengali nationalists Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki attempted to kill Presidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford in Muzaffarpur in April 1908. The Bengal police recognized this attempt as being connected to earlier attacks against the Raj, like the December 1907 attempt to derail the train escorting Lieutenant-Governor Sir Andrew Fraser....

Background of Alipore Bomb Case

Three secret societies were established in Bengal in the 1800s as a result of growing political resistance to British rule: the Anushilan Samity, led by Satish Chandra Basu; the Sarala Devi Chaudhurani society; and the Aurobindo Ghosh society. A supporter of violent nationalism, Ghosh went back to India and became good friends with Maratha nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He laid the foundation for an Indian nationalist revolution, influenced by the nationalism of Italy and Ireland. The division of Bengal in 1905 created extreme nationalist feelings in the Bhadralok group and helped Anushilan gain momentum with young people who were politically aware and educated....

Muzaffarpur Bombings and Aftermath

Barin Ghosh sent Hem Chandra Kanungo to Paris in 1907 to study how to make bombs. Hem went back to Bengal and collaborated with Fraser, aiming their efforts at Douglas Kingsford, the Chief Magistrate of the Presidency court in Alipore. Kingsford had presided over the Jugantar editors’ trials and imposed prison sentences on them. Jugantar was financially destroyed by 1908 after five additional prosecutions. Revolutionary nationalism was propagated and popularity was raised by these prosecutions. A Bengali child who was opposing the Jugantar trial was also given a beating by Kingsford. Hem made a book bomb and had it delivered to Kingsford’s residence....

Initial Hearings of the Alipore Bomb Case

49 defendants were charged with “organizing to wage war against the government” and “waging war against the King” during the initial hearing in the case of Emperor v. Aurobindo Ghosh. Leonard Birley, ICS, and Eardley Norton led the prosecution. Because of Anushilan Samiti’s organizational structure and Aurobindo’s involvement in it, nothing was known about him personally despite the overwhelming evidence against the majority of the defendants. The prosecution sought to condemn Aurobindo because he was thought to be the most dangerous person leading the Samiti movement against the Raj....

Alipore Sessions Court

Barin and the other Manicktolla ashram prisoners withdrew their confessions early in the trial....

The Verdict of the Alipore Bomb Case

Sessions Judge Charles Porten Beachcroft issued his rulings regarding the Calcutta conspiracies against the British on May 6, 1909. Ullaskar Dutt and Barin Ghosh were found guilty and given hanging death sentences, which were eventually reduced to life in prison. Thirteen more received life sentences along with property forfeitures. Aurobindo was among the seventeen declared not guilty. The Indian government was disappointed with the ruling since they had expected Aurobindo to be found guilty. There were concerns that the people who were found not guilty might have had orders from Hem on how to make the bombs. The administration made the decision not to file an appeal of the Aurobindo ruling. Ullaskar Dutt and Barindra Kumar Ghosh were the two who were given hanging sentences; they were eventually given life sentences in the cellular jail in Andamans....

Impact of Alipore Bomb Case on Indian Independence Movement

The Alipore Bomb Case of 1908 left an enduring impact on the Indian freedom movement, influencing both the strategies adopted by nationalists and the broader political consciousness. The failed attempt to assassinate British judge Kingsford intensified revolutionary fervor, prompting a shift toward more militant approaches within the independence movement. The sacrifices of individuals like Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki became symbolic of the determination to challenge colonial oppression....

Summary – Alipore Bomb Case, 1908

The Alipore Bomb Case of 1908, also known as the Manicktolla bomb conspiracy, marked a pivotal moment in the Indian independence movement. Triggered by the attempted assassination of British judge Douglas Kingsford by nationalists Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki, the case unfolded in the Alipore Sessions Court in Calcutta from May 1908 to May 1909. The trial exposed the revolutionary activities of groups like the Anushilan Samiti, led by figures such as Aurobindo Ghosh and Barin Ghosh. The impact of the case was profound, intensifying nationalist fervor, highlighting the biases of the colonial legal system, and inspiring future freedom fighters. The sacrifices of Bose and Chaki became symbolic of the struggle against colonial oppression, shaping the trajectory of India’s journey toward independence....

FAQs on Alipore Bomb Case

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